Sandeshkhali protest intensifies; Left leader Minakshi Mukherjee stopped, TMC leaders take stock of situation

The villagers have been protesting for weeks now against absconding TMC strongman Sheikh Shahjahan and his aides, who have been accused of grabbing lands and sexually abusing women.

Minakshi, who is the state secretary of DYFI, entered Sandeshkhali managing to avoid police's glare in the morning by travelling in an e-rickshaw and covering her face with a piece of cloth.

Later, she along with her colleagues were stopped by police citing Section 144.

Following an altercation with a female cop, Minakshi and other Left leaders began their sit-in protest.

On the other hand, Sujit Bose and Partha Bhowmick were seen in Sandeshkhali in a bid to examine the situation.

"All problems will be solved," Bose was heard saying on television cameras.

Meanwhile, villagers have come out in protests in Dhamakhali on Saturday, in an escalation of the situation which was initially limited to Sandeshkhali.

Women marched out with their grievances carrying brooms and sticks. Police tried to control the situation, urging them to calm down.

"Will shouting solve the problems?" the police asked the protesters, who told the cop, "You were the ones who arrested our people after the 2021 elections."

Sandeshkhali incident

The turmoil in Sandeshkhali, a remote block about 80 kms from Kolkata and a part of the Basirhat sub-division of North 24 Parganas district, broke out first in early January when a team of Enforcement Directorate (ED) reached TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan's residence to quiz him in connection with the ration distribution scam in the state.

Shahjahan's aides allegedly assaulted and chased the ED officers turning the area into a political hotspot months ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

While Shahjahan is now absconding, several women from the village came out with brooms and sticks demanding the arrest of the TMC strongman.

The protesting women have alleged Shahjahan and his aides captured several lands forcefully and sexually harassed them.

Reacting to the allegations, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in the state assembly on Thursday, "By targeting Shahjahan, ED entered into the area and then created a rift between the Adivasis and minorities."

"If there is any genuine complaint, the government will take action. But first, I have to learn what has happened," she added.